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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. race — the arms race
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. craft — a skill
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. race — a contest
  14. tear — from crying
  15. race — humankind
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. branch — a division
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — boats
  22. tear — to rip
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com